Mates of skate

MANILA, Philippines - DC Shoes recently brought Street League Skateboarding champion Nyja Huston to Manila, along with noted professional street skaters Wes Kremer, Matt Miller, Tommy Fynn, Cyril Jackson and Jake Hayes. Supreme sat down with the boys to talk about what it takes to go pro, facing injuries, and why street skating never goes out of style.

SUPREME: When did you start picking up a skate board and how did it happen?

Matt: I was 12. It was the funnest thing ever. Everything was brand new. And everything you did was new to you. Once you started, it was unexplainable. You get hooked. And you play Techdecks in school ‘cause all you do is think about skating all day, every day.

Nyja: I was four.

Jake Hayes: I was six or seven. I still play Techdecks.

Tommy Fynn: Yeah, we’re all like that.

You guys still remember your first injury?

Matt: I used to cry every time.

Jake: I still cry every time. (Laughs)

How did you guys get over the fear of falling or getting injured? Do you guys experience that every day?

Wes Kremer: I have a tattoo on my wrist that says “fear.”

Nyja Huston: Shut up, dude! No, I like to doing it. I think it’s fun. It makes things exciting. And makes you feel better when you roll away from that trick getting injured.

Matt Miller: Yeah, new experience every day. Yeah, you have new tumbles here and there. But not in the head or something really serious.

Did you ever think you’d be here in the Philippines when you started boarding?

Jake: No, absolutely not. It’s not something you really think about. You don’t think about planes or traveling or where you’re going. All you think about is skating with your friends.

Matt: I think I speak for everyone here that when you start skating, the last thing you’re thinking about is being a professional skater. You just do it ‘cause you love it. Everything just happens, works out.

Yeah, skating is still a growing sport here in the Philippines. So how should Filipinos start out with skating?

Nyja: Same as anybody else as anywhere. From what I hear, you guys have a good skateboarding scene. Lots of good fans here. And everywhere around the world skateboarding’s getting bigger right now. So I think it’s only a matter of time until there’s a really popular, good skate scene here. There’s gonna be professionals coming up.

Matt: Everyone’s gotta make do with what they have. That influences their style of boarding, too.

I think you guys should go to Cebu, we’ve also got a skate scene there.

Matt: Yeah, I’ve been getting messages online, actually; people from Cebu telling us that “You should’ve come here to Cebu.”

Do you think skating’s going to be the future of transportation?

Tommy: Yeah, gas prices are too damn high.

Nyja: They had a rock and a board when things started out. Everything started going to flames after that.

You think hoverboards are coming anytime soon?

Tommy: They had that in Back to the Future II.

Matt: The skateboard, in general, isn’t really changing so much. It’s kinda always been wheels and a board.

So is there a skater look that with just one look at him/her, you know “Hey, this guy’s good.”

Matt: Yeah, baggy pants do it.

Nyja: No way, tight pants. That sh*t’s (expletive).

Tommy: No, medium-sized pants. Or no pants. (Laughter)

Matt: Well, you just tell by how he skates.

Is it in the music they listen to?

Nyja: It’s whatever psyches them up. Whatever they want, whatever they like. I listen to hip-hop. Chief Kief.

Wes: I listen to Creed. Nickelback. Matchbox 20. (Laughter)

Nyja: Matt and Wes like walking on the beach together and listening to Creed.

So do you get inspiration from videos, movies that you watch? Movies like The Lords of Dogtown?

Nyja: All skate videos psych me up.

Matt: That movie shows you the roots of skateboarding. So that’s pretty cool.

Nyja: Sometimes you get inspiration from other people’s videos. You’ll see how other people discern tricks.

Matt: (Jokes) Nyja likes to steal tricks. (Laughs) He’ll take you out.

You guys are obviously still young. What do you think’s your biggest achievement?

Tommy: It’s basically leaving the house. Flying around. Skating with friends. That’s an achievement every time.

Matt: It’s moving around. Staying busy. Thinking of new tricks to do. There’s always a new trick waiting to be made. Find another Great Wall to jump.

Nyja: I’d love to do the megaramp. I’ll do it most simple way possible ‘cause we’re street skaters.

Was there a competition that you really wanted to win so bad but didn’t?

Nyja: Yeah, that happens all the time. Well, obviously, I would love to win every time but that’s not how it works. You have to make your mistakes and just learn from them. Go skate after. Practice some more.

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